Fungi have a thallus body structure made of thread-like hyphae that can grow into a mycelium network. They are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients through parasitism, saprophytism, or symbiosis. Parasitic fungi derive nutrients from living hosts, saprophytic fungi get nutrients from dead organic matter, and symbiotic fungi have mutualistic relationships with algae or plants. Fungi play important roles in nutrient recycling, plant symbiosis through mycorrhizal relationships, and as food sources for humans in the form of edible mushrooms.

1. Characteristics of fungi
Presented By
Dr. E. Gayathiri
Department of Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology
Guru Nanak College
Chennai

2. Learning objectives
Discovery of Fungi
•Structure of Thallus
•Mycelium form of Fungi
•Nutrition of Fungi

3. Discovery of Fungi
• The knowledge of fungi -prehistoric times
 Clausius (1601) describe fungi.
 Bauhin (1623) described fungal forms
in his book Pinax Theatric Botanica
 The fast systematic account of fungi came
from Pier Antonio Micheli (1729)

4. • Father of Systematic Mycology : E.M. Fries
(1794–1878).He wrote 'Systema Mycologicum' in three
volume.
• Father of Modern Mycology and Plant Pathology :
H.A. de Bary.
• Father of Indian Mycology and Plant Pathology:
• E.J. Butler.
Discovery of Fungi

5. General Characters
• Fungi are the Eukaryotic organisms (mushrooms, yeasts
and molds).
• Some fungi are edible, while others are poisonous.
• 3-4 million species of fungi (150,000 have been classified and
studied).
• Study of fungi is called as mycology
• Mycologists are biologists who study fungi
Source: fungus | Definition, Characteristics ... britannica.com, Billion-year-old fossils set back ... nature.com, Fungi: The good, the bad and the ugly ... mysoutex.com

6. Thallus Structure
• Fungi like plants are mostly sessile and
rooted in place.
• They possess a stem-like structure similar
to plants
• They posses root-like fungal mycelium in
the soil.
time lapse growing mushrooms Fungi ... rebloggy.com, Fly Agaric Fungus Mushroom GIF ...favpng.com

7. Thallus Structure
• The plant body of true fungi is a thallus.
• It may be non-mycelial or mycelial.
• The non-mycelial forms are unicellular.
(form pseudomycelium by budding).
• In mycelial forms, the plant body is made up of thread
like structures called hyphae (sing. hypha).
• Hyphae are very thin threads that can grow and form a mycelium network.
• Fungi are able to absorb nutrients with hyphae
Source:BioNinja

8. Mycelium wall
• The mycelium may be septate or aseptate
(non-septate)
• Coenocytic (non-septate)
• In lower fungi the mycelium is non-septate
e.g., Phycomycetae.
• In higher forms it is septate e.g., Ascomycotina,
Basidiomycotina and Deuteromycotina.
• In some forms the plant body is dimorphic.
Source:Quora

9. Mycelium Forms of Fungi
• Plectenchyma: Mycelium are into loosely or compactly
woven structure
It is of two types
• (i) Prosenchyma: loosely woven hyphae lying almost
parallel to each other.
• (ii) Pseudoparenchyma: If the hyphae are closely
interwoven, looking like parenchyma in a cross-section.

10. Specialized Formation
• (a) Rhizomorphs: It’s a 'root-like'
elongated structure of closely packed and
interwoven hyphae.
• (b) Sclerotia: External hyphae becoming
thickened to save the inner ones.
• (c) Stroma: It is thick mattress of compact
hyphae associated with the fruiting bodies.

11. CELL COMPOSITION
• The cell wall of fungi is mainly made up
of chitin and cellulose.
Cellulose-glucan (Oomycetes)
Chitin chitosan (Zygomycetes)
Mannan-glucan (Ascomycotina)
Chitin-mannan (Basidiomycotina)
• Main storage molecule is glycogen.
• Fungi help to recycle the nutrients of dead organic
matter

12. Nutrition
• The fungi are achlorophyllous
organisms
• They live as heterotrophs
as parasites and saprophytes.
• Some forms live symbiotically
with other green forms.

13. Parasites
• They obtain their food from a living host.
• A parasite may be obligate or facultative.
• The obligate parasites thrive on a living host.
• The facultative parasites are in fact
saprophytes which have secondarily
become parasitic.
• Nutrition in FungiFungi are hourlybook.combattle against coffee rust disease news.umich.edu

14. Saprophytes
• Saprophytic food derive their food from dead
and decaying organic matter.
• The saprophytes may be obligate or facultative.
• An obligate saprophyte remains saprophytic
throughout its life.
• A facultative saprophyte is a parasite which has
secondarily become saprophytic.
Mushroom Saprophytic fungi - a photo on ...flickriver.comsaprophytic fungus 1 by Ons87 on DeviantArtdeviantart.com

15. Symbionts
• Some fungal forms grow in symbiotic association with the
green or blue-green algae and constitute the lichen.
• The algal component is photosynthetic and the fungal is
reproductive.
• Fungal forms grow in association with the roots of higher
plants(mycorrhiza)
• They are two types – Ectotrophic mycorrhiza and Endotrophic
mycorrhiza e.g., (VAM).
How do mycorrhizal fungi benefit plants ... quora.comFungi Symbiosis ( Read ) | Biology | CK ...ck12.orgFungi Symbiosis | CK-12 Foundation ck12.org

16. Feet Fungus Cartoon Images, Stock shutterstock.comsmiling honey fungus mushroom Vector Image vectorstock.com
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